


A Bucket of Flour and a Paper Crane

by Hollyflash



Series: Phic Phight! [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Clock puns, Clockwork please stop sassing your employers, Clockwork survives solely off of spite and honestly what a mood, Gen, Melodramatic Observants, Phic Phight 19, Prank Wars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 12:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18343928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyflash/pseuds/Hollyflash
Summary: "Danny decides that he has no choice. He must find a way to prank Clockwork, or at least make him laugh. Clockwork finds this supremely amusing, but he is determined not to lose." - Phic Phight prompt by fiverivers





	A Bucket of Flour and a Paper Crane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marsalias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsalias/gifts).



The tower was peaceful. The soft but rhythmic ticking of clocks filled any uncomfortable silence, and the occasional _whoosh_ of a mirror shifting its view provided a nice variety to the background soundtrack. The fabric of Clockwork’s gloves rubbed against itself as he placed a hand on a mirror, and provided the perfect amount of friction between his movements.

In all, it was quite concerning.

A floorboard behind him creaked and Clockwork raised his staff to block the hand filled with white foam before it could reach his face. “I’m going to have to request that you don’t do that.”

Danny Phantom pulled his hand back with a scoff and started to lick the whipped cream out of his hand. “I almost had you that time.”

He really hadn’t. Clockwork had been wary from the moment Danny had stopped snickering in the other room. “If you insist,” he said vaguely. “I believe you still have English homework to do.”

Danny pulled a face. “Fine, fine.” He tried to clap Clockwork on the back - again, Clockwork blocked the assault with his staff, and flipped it around to see the piece of paper proclaiming ‘ _free hugs!_ ’ the boy had tried to tape to his cloak.

“If you really want to trick me, you shouldn’t lump these all together after you’ve already been caught.” Danny pouted, and Clockwork removed the tape before depositing the paper back into Danny’s hands, now folded into a slightly lopsided origami crane. “If you spread your efforts out, you’ll be more likely to find success.”

Danny huffed and slipped the crane into one of his pockets. “Yeah, yeah, don’t patronize me. I’m not making this easier for you.” He pointed a finger at Clockwork, who shifted to his elder form. “I’ll get you one of these days.”

“Of course,” Clockwork said, “as long as your homework is done.”

Childishly, Danny stuck out his tongue before he flew off. Clockwork waited approximately ten and a half seconds before he called after him.

“Oh, and Danny?”

“Yeah?”

“Please remove the bucket you’ve propped up on my door. I wouldn’t want you to have an accident.”

Danny’s groan and his elder form’s beard were perfectly adequate cover for both Clockwork’s smile and his amused snort.

.-.

“Hey Clockwork,” Danny said, some days later.

“Yes, Danny?”

“If you fly backward are you flying clockwise?”

Clockwork hummed and put on a thoughtful expression. “I suppose. I don’t often fly backward.”

Danny crossed his arms, and Clockwork switched to his elder form. Danny had grown bored with pranks and switched to clock puns. Many, many clock puns. It was genuinely impressive how many he had.

“Fair, I guess. Does it help you unwind?” He wiggled his eyebrows. Clockwork cleared his throat.

“Generally, I find knitting to be a more relaxing hobby.”

Danny stared at him for a good twenty seconds before he shrugged. “That’s fair, actually. I’m not going to tease you for that.”

Clockwork frowned and returned to his adult form. _Pity,_ that could have been an interesting train of puns. He returned his attention to the Timeline: Danny floated beside him and rested his chin on Clockwork’s shoulder. For a few peaceful minutes, the only sounds were the ticking of clocks, their cores vibrating, and the fabric of Clockwork’s gloves brushing against itself.

And then a door was thrown open with absolutely no effort to knock whatsoever. _“CLOCKWORK!”_

Danny jumped. Clockwork did not. He spun around and pulled Danny behind him. “You don’t need to shout,” he called, “I’m right here.”

The two Observants stormed in through the door Danny had left open, and slammed it behind them hard enough that the doors swung back open a couple of inches into the hall. Clockwork frowned as the bucket Danny had precariously positioned on it wobbled but did not fall.

“What is _that_ doing here?” One snapped and pointed to Danny.

“As I’m sure you remember, given that you were the ones who insisted upon it, he is my ward now.” Clockwork said. A bit of irritation dripped over his words. “Is that enough of an explanation?”

“Do not use that tone with us,” Two hissed. “There are important matters to discuss. We will not stand for this _abomination_ distracting you.”

Clockwork’s scowl grew as behind him, Danny whispered, “Rude.”

“He is simply observing,” Clockwork said dully, “it is no more of a distraction now than it is when you do it.” He turned his back to them, and carefully tried to guide Danny farther behind him. “What did you need from me?”

“Do not turn your back on us,” Two said. Clockwork sighed and turned back around. “Show us respect.”

Clockwork didn’t bother to answer _that_ demand. “What do you want?”

They both narrowed their eyes. “There are matters to discuss,” One said. “Plasmius has continued to cause dangerous ripples throughout our realm with his experiments, and the false hybrid has hidden herself from our view. This can not continue. They must be eliminated!”

A quick glance confirmed Clockwork’s suspicion that Danny had started to glare at the Observants. He placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Dani hasn’t done anything wrong,” Danny snapped.

The Observants glared right back. “Beings who are blameless do not cause the timestream to glitch around them.” Two said a bit smug, like that was some huge revelation that would turn the tide of this not-an-argument in their favour.

“Of course,” Clockwork replied, his voice as dull and bored as was physically possible.

“So we’re ignoring that if someone’s using the Infi Map or natural portals to travel through time the timestream gets confused for a bit, then?” Danny matched his tone perfectly. Clockwork blinked in surprise and squeezed the boy’s shoulder.

“Do not involve yourself in this!” Both Observants snapped.

“He’s right, though.” Clockwork said.

“Be silent!”

Danny continued. “And Vlad would stop messing with the Ghost Zone if you let Clockwork go get the Crown of Fire back from him.”

“Absolutely not!” One hissed.

“We will not endorse an act of treason!” Two added.

“Treason against _who?_ ” Danny pressed.

“He’s still right,” Clockwork said.

The Observants glared at Danny for a moment longer before they both pointed a finger at the door. “Leave.”

Danny huffed. Clockwork gave him a small sympathetic smile and pulled his hand back. Danny switched to his human form and walked through one of the Observants on his way to the door, which he passed harmlessly through as well.

“The boy must be dealt with,” Two said.

“You doubt me far too much,” Clockwork replied, and focused on his staff now. “He doesn’t come here to run wild, he’s playing catch up on the knowledge his circumstances denied him for too long. Have some faith for once. Everything is the way it’s supposed to be.”

The Observants narrowed their eyes. “Do not use that phrase with us,” Two said, “each time you say it, you cheat our orders and weaponize our trust in you.”

“Then I am unarmed.”

The Observants didn’t deny it. They glanced at each other, then back at him. “We will return,” One said, “and we expect the problems to be dealt with.”

“Of course,” Clockwork said dryly and turned his back to them. “Mind the door, by the way.”

He heard the Observants scoff and heard them shove the door open. He turned just in time to watch two buckets fall on their heads. Water dyed blue soaked their robes and coloured the flour that now caked their forms. Danny stood only a few feet away, still human, still annoyed.

A little paper crane slipped off the top of the door, landed on One’s head, and slipped down their back as it unfolded. The piece of paper proclaiming _free hugs!_ found its place stuck to the back of the Observant’s robes.

There was a long moment of stunned silence.

“I did warn you,” Clockwork said.

 **_“YOU!”_   **The Observants dove for Danny. He was still human. They passed harmlessly through him - they did not pass through the wall behind him, however, and two dyed-blue flour outlines of Observants pressed themselves into his walls.

Clockwork’s facade cracked, and a smile broke through his deadpan expression as he floated over the mess. “Don’t blame Danny for your refusal to listen to me.”

Danny’s face lit up. Behind him, the Observants picked themselves off the ground.

“You have betrayed us for the last time, Clockwork.” Two said.

Clockwork turned his snort into a cough. “I warned you. I made an effort to stop you from making fools of yourselves.”

One pointed a dripping, challenging finger at him. “Yet this amuses you!”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Clockwork replied. He bit his bottom lip. “We can continue this argument after you have cleaned yourselves up. You are making a mess.”

The Observants gave him a damp scowl and turned to glare at Danny. “We will return,” they said. They left a trail of wet flour on the floor as they flew off.

Clockwork took in a deep, long breath he didn’t need. He was calm. He was fine. The mask was back on, and he was in control of his emotions once more.

“Aw,” Danny said, and picked up a stained piece of paper between two fingers. “They dropped the free hugs sign.”

The mask shattered into several million pieces and calming breath came out in a choking wheeze. Clockwork bent forwards, gripping the stained door frame to keep himself at least somewhat upright. The staff slipped from his grasp and hit the ground with a _splush_ that turned Clockwork’s wheeze into snorts.

Danny approached slowly and looked horrified. “Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay. Are you allergic to food coloring? Or flour?” A pause, “Are you allergic to water?”

That did _not_ help calm Clockwork’s laughter. Wheezing and snorts turned into the sound reminiscent of a terrified donkey screaming for help, and Danny gave Clockwork a few awkward pats.

It felt like a long, long time before Clockwork had calmed down enough that he stopped laughing. He picked up his staff and let damp flour stain his gloves. He placed that hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Danny,” he said, “you are my favourite hybrid.”

Danny glanced at his now stained shoulder and copied the motion to shove the free hugs sign onto Clockwork’s shoulder. “Clockwork,” he said in the exact same tone, “you have the dumbest laugh I have ever heard.”

They stayed like that for a moment before they both pulled their hands back, snickering. Clockwork didn’t bother to hide his smile as he tapped his staff on the ground, and let it shift into a mop.

“Seriously,” he said, “don’t ever do that again.” He dropped the mop in Danny’s hands and wiped the smile from his face. “Next time they won’t let you off so easily.”

Danny frowned at the mop for a second before he shrugged and reached down to grab a bucket. “It was worth it to see you laugh.”

**Author's Note:**

> This would've gone on tumblr first but the tag is filled with memes and it would've been buried within seconds SO I guess I'm here now.
> 
> Phic Phight is fun y'all, I did not expect it'd be going as well as it is.


End file.
